Slowdive – Everything is Alive – Album Review
by Killian Laher

Despite quickly becoming ‘uncool’ in the mid-90s, as Blur and Oasis-mania took hold, Slowdive have endured, and reformed.  Their brand of immersive guitar pop has lasted every bit as much as the scene that supplanted them.  After a short enough gap this time, a mere six years, the band are back with their second album post-reformation, and their fifth overall.  Slowdive were always at the more ‘controlled’ end of so-called shoegaze, and although at times had very poppy moments, they enjoyed infusing their brand of dreampop with electronic elements, particularly on later albums.

The album opens with shanty, a bed of pulsing electronica leading into their customary enveloping sound.  An ideal driving soundtrack, listening to this will give you a good sense of the album. If you don’t like this one, it’s unlikely you’ll like anything else here.   A total change of pace for the Cure-like instrumental prayer remembered.  It has a slow, yet uplifting, almost celestial drift like early Sigur Ros, and is one of their finest tracks. Alife has the classic Slowdive sound, pacy, poppy and is one to sink into.  The languid drift of andalucia plays again evokes the Cure, its bassline channelling All Cats Are Grey and the track takes its time to unfurl and wrap itself around your ears.

The pace picks up for kisses, a lovely alt-electronica pop song, one you might think suitable for daytime radio, and it continues with the happy marriage of blissed-out pop and nervy guitar growl of skin in the game.  There’s a slight change in atmosphere for the last song, the dark brooding the slab, saving one of the better tracks here till last.

This very consistent album won’t disappoint any of their fans.  It’s strangely addictive, and anyone who enjoys early Cure will be somewhat sated by this.

Kisses